Did you know that..?

A pick of useless but interesting newspapers extracts and topics, some even curious.

Document reveals critical three months’ after no-deal. A secret document from the Cabinet Office has warned there would be a “critical three-month phase” if Britain crashed out of the EU without a deal, during which the whole planning operation could be overwhelmed. There is growing concern about the chaos that could be sparked by a no deal with shortages of everything from medicines to fresh food and toilet paper. The Guardian

Sales of self-help books rise 20% in a year. Stressed Britons are increasingly resorting to self-help books in a bid to cope with their daily lives. More than three million of the books were sold last year – an increase of 20 per cent from 2017. The sales boom means selfimprovement and popular psychology is one of the fastest-growing genres in the publishing world. Daily Mail

If you work on holiday, there are some ground rules. For some of us, doing some form of work while away is all but inevitable. Two-thirds of employees told Glassdoor that they work while on holiday, and Randstad reports that some 53% of employers expect employees to be available while out. How can you pull this off without feeling drained? Set clear boundaries. Devote specific periods to work, with the rest dedicated to off time. Prioritise big picture thinking over routine tasks. And turn off all messaging tools. Editor

Brexit was becoming a farce. Now it is turning into a coup The Guardian

Women exposed to air pollution risk early menopause, say scientists. Two separate studies have suggested a link between living with heavy air pollution and a risk of earlier menopause and infertility. The scientists behind the research, in Italy and the US, believe that such pollution may speed the ageing of women’s reproductive systems. A study in Modena found women living in the most polluted neighbourhoods were three times more likely to have a low ovarian reserve than those in the cleanest areas of the city. New Scientist

The Queen: Our politicians can’t govern. The Queen has privately expressed her disappointment in the current political class and its “inability to govern”, The Sunday Times can reveal. The monarch’s views have emerged as MPs threaten to drag her into the escalating Brexit crisis. It is among the starkest political statements the Queen has made The Times

The estranged wife of Boris Johnson has undergone two operations after being diagnosed with cervical cancer earlier this year, she reveals in The Sunday Times today. Marina Wheeler, a QC who filed for divorce from Johnson after 25 years of marriage last September, was told by doctors in May that she had developed the disease. The Times